1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of displays and more particularly to a storage and display device useful for retail establishments and for products where a customer is likely to examine a product prior to making a purchase decision. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to a display and storage device useful for objects including, but not limited to, photo albums and other consumer goods in which a single one of the items is displayed for the consumer in a display portion and, after a purchase decision is made, the device may be opened to allow the consumer to remove one or more fresh and saleable products from a storage portion. The present invention also relates to a system including a plurality of individual display and storage devices, each made from wire, and each being attached to peg board or slat wall surfaces or other surfaces commonly found in retail establishments. The most preferred form of the individual display and storage device includes a spring biasing element for holding the displayed object in the display portion and also includes a detachable display portion to facilitate shipment of the storage and display devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large variety of display techniques are known, including shelves and peg board with various rods and brackets attached thereto for the display of individual items or groups of items. For the display of photo albums, for example, the most common technique employed today is to merely place a plurality of the items on the shelf for examination and purchase by the customer. These types of products typically invoke a comparison shopping urge in the customer, and typically a plurality of products will be removed from the shelf, examined by the customer and replaced before a final purchase decision is made. Because there are typically numerous sizes, colors, and brands of such products displayed at a store, and since customers typically do not take the time to carefully replace a particular product from the exact location from which it was initially removed, clutter results where product styles may become intermixed and become less attractive to the consumer. Using photo albums as an example, the customer may examine several varieties before making purchase decisions, and then may decide to buy additional refill pages for an album that has been selected. If the albums have become intermixed with albums of other styles or brands, the selection of an appropriate refill also becomes more difficult.
The problems mentioned to this point relate primarily to those encountered by or caused by the customer, but the purchasing habits of customer for these types of products also create problems for the retailer who must rearrange the display and maintain appropriate inventories of both the original product and, in the case of photo albums, refills. These processes become time consuming and expensive.
A display and storage system which allows customers to examine a product and which prevents the product intermingling discussed above, and which further provides for orderly and simplified inventory management for the retailer would represent a very substantial advance in this field of invention.